Graphic Design History: Timeline implementation

My students have been working since last week researching significant events, theories, artifacts, etc. that have to do with reading on the screen in their assigned contexts — design, culture, society and technology. The first round of research was due today, which they submitted online through a Google form. Behind the scenes, I hooked up the resulting spreadsheet to a TimelineJS spreadsheet that generates our very own GDES 3300 Reading on the Screen timeline.

Students were super excited to see their work visualized and in context. In class, I did some reframing around what is a useful entry — not sure if that conversation went over nearly so well. Hopefully the revised entries, due on Wednesday, will set-up the mind mapping phase better than the first entries did.

Going 100% Digital with the iPad

Coffee and iPadMary Boyd, Vice President of Academic Affairs at St. Edward’s University has made the commitment to go digital. As she explains on her new blog, #100percentdigital:

I’ve committed to moving to a 100% digital workflow and practice.  That decision required a lot of persuasion by colleagues, who convinced me that I could do everything I do now, but better, in a completely digital process.

To encourage Mary’s commitment and get the community involved in helping her go digital, I’m offering a little incentive. I’ll buy coffee (or an equivalent beverage) for anyone who catches Mary using paper instead of her iPad. There are a few conditions:

  • It has to be paper she provides. It doesn’t count if you bring her paper in a meeting.
  • You have to tweet your picture to the hashtag #100percentdigital and to me @frostdavis
  • I reserve the right to stop this incentive program if Mary is using too much paper (and I’m buying too much coffee)!

Teach Students to Write Marginalia and to Highlight or Underline Wisely

Rap Genius and moreOne of the recommended readings for flipping the classroom addresses strategies for getting students to do the reading:

Linda Nilson, “Getting Students To Do the Readings,” Ch. 23 in Part Five of Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for Instructors (2010), available as an e-book through the SEU library.  (You’ll need to be logged into the SEU library site for this e-book link to work.)

On p. 216 Nilson suggests the strategy, “Teach Students to Write Marginalia and to Highlight or Underline Wisely.”  There are several technology tools to support this strategy for both the individual and for groups. Continue reading

Using Screen Capture Video to Record Lectures

I’ll be demoing tomorrow a couple of different software options for recording instructional videos. Below is a list of software I’ll be sharing.

On an Ipad, the following two apps allow you to record audio & video on an interactive whiteboard screen:

  • Explain Everything – $2.99 in the app store – allows you to annotate documents, photos & videos or just a whitescreen. Quick & super easy to use!
  • Vittle – free in the app store – pretty similar to Explain Everything. I haven’t been able to figure out what extra features Explain Everything has, but I assume there are some extra bells and whistles in a paid app. Continue reading

Technology for Innovation Fellows

Innovation Fellowship Blog: https://sites.stedwards.edu/innovationfellowship/

  • Each fellow is has author permissions on the Innovation Fellowship blog.
  • Find out more about blogs at St. Edward’s University: Blogs and Sites
  • Get started with your own blog or find user guides, etc., here: http://sites.stedwards.edu/

Twitter conversation: #SEUInnovation

  • Please tweet about the Innovation Institute and your activities during the fellowship year using the hashtag, #SEUInnovation

Diigo Group: SEU Innovation Fellowship

What other technologies would you like to use to collaborate and connect with your fellow innovation fellows?